Windows 2000 PC blows up....

[Zak33]

..cheapo PSU fried the entire thing, mobo cpu, ram....but not HDD.

Two years work on it for a the bloke...including software that he has no install disks for. (I didnt ask)

Has built new system....(Hard Disk is back in)

Different mobo, different ram, diffrent cpu, different intergated everything...)

Is there anyway of getting back into 2000 and restting the OS so that it re installs itself from the CD WITHOUT uninstalling/overwrting all the actuall programs the bloke has?

We can do the easy stuff like JPEG and Word docs by slaving it to a diff PC...but that wont run the software.

Anyhelp guys?

Cheers

[Timmy!!!]

In a word, no! Soz but when windows reinstalls the registry is overwritten and so all programs installed will stop working. It might also be the case that anything in C:/WINDOWS is overwritten too.

Cant these programs be downloaded from the internet again after the reinstall. If the software is bought you should have a key in case you want to reinstall the software.

[Zak33]

So Windows does a full registry rebuild on install.

Was hoping that might be able to get into System Properties, Delete the LOT...reboot and let 2000 install the stuff it wanted, asking for mobo drivers etc on the way.

Oh well....maybe I was dreaming...normally am

cheers

[Timmy!!!]

Hmm actually thinking about it you could use regedit to save the current registry. Then reinstall windows and then load your old registry back onto the system, but programs still might not work as they may have components installed into the windows folder that has been overwritten.

Why do you want to reinstall windows?

[Zak33]

I dont...I want an old install of windows to recognise an entire new hardware profile, AND keep the original software on it.

[m0dm0]

I know this probably won't help, but maybe if you could replace the old system with identical parts the win2k might boot?

?

m0.

[SilentDeath]

boot it up, windows should either recognise the changes and make you reinstall all the drivers, OR it will crash and be b0rked, in which case reinstall over the top.. then do the same with programs untill it all works again...